Tilt-opening valves for dispensers



May 12, 1964 J. w. SOFFER TILT-OPENING VALVES FOR DISPENSERS Filed April 24, 1959 FIG.

m 3 3 I m F INVENTOR. JACK W. SOF

ATTORNEY United States Patent ()fiice 3,132,774 Patented May- 12, 1964 3,132,774 TILT-OPENING VALVES FOR DISPENSERS Jack W. Sofier, St. Louis, Mo., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Clayton Corporation of Delaware, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 24, 19559, Ser. No. 808,761 1 Claim. ((1222-394) The present invention relates to valves for dispensing containers, and particularly to the simple, single use tiltopening type of dispensing valve in common use for whipped cream or other products discharged under the pressure of gas within the dispensing container.

Valves of the type mentioned normally include an apertured top wall for the single use pressure container, a rubber-like seal and a tubular dispensing provision. In one specific type to which this invention relates, the tubular seal mounts a rigid valving stem whose outer wall is sealingly embraced by an inner spout-sealing surface of the seal. Such valves may also have other components, but those mentioned will suffice for many uses, provided they are well designed in their detailed parts.

For such a simple design, particularly where the rubber seal is itself relied upon to restore the rigid valving stem to erect, closed position, one of the problems has been to insure the necessary sealing and restoring tendency and yet provide for easy, well-controlled dispensing. It is the principal object of the present invention to so improve the detailed design of such a simple valve as to achieve better control over the rate of dispensing throughout the range of travel of the dispensing stem, and at all angles at which the stem may be tilted; and to lessen the tilting force required, so that the user may readily control the dispensing with the pressure of a finger tip and maintain such control without any tendency of the contents to spurt. A further purpose is to achieve these ends without impairing the reliability of sealing.

Other purposes will be apparent from the specification as a whole,

These purposes are here attained by taking account of the fact that, in such a simplified valve, the detail design should provide for opening the valve without displacing or bunching rubber-like material in the region or regions where a sliding contact is to be made. The present invention utilizes the idea not immediately apparent, that a valving stem which opens by tilting in a resilient seal, rocks rotatively not merely with respect to the top wall of the container but also with respect to the seal; and this rocking within the seal should be facilitated; and not be impeded by displacing or bunohing the rubber-like material of the seal. The present idea is contrary to the prior art practice of tapering a valve head so that its slope, measured outwardly from the valve axis, is away from the aperture in which the valve is mounted. The prior art practice was useful for seating valves which would open by being pressed downward. It has not heretofore been realized that a taper, designed for improved seating of an axially movable valve, interferes with easy operation of a tiltable valve.

Accordingly, the present invention provides, in general, for a dispensing valve including a dispensing stem held by a tubular elastic seal mounted in a circular aperture in the dispenser wall, the seal including a sleeve portion which extends through the wall. The outer sleeve surface seals within the aperture and its inner surface seals about the outer wall of a dispensing stem. At a level remote from the level of the aperture, the seal and stem have faces which press against each other and which incorporate the unique details of the present invention. In the preferred embodiments, this provision is within the container; it requires the forming of the lower end surfaces of the seal and the seating portion of the valve stem in such manner that the surface of one of them has a slope inclined toward the level of the container aperture when measured outwardly from the axis of the aperture. The surfaces do not make broad surface contact with each other; the slope so provided facilitates rocking the stem within the seal, to draw away from the closing contact in an easy, gradual manner and permit well-controlled dis pensing. For further ease of operation, an annular gap is provided between the outer wall of the stem and the inner tubular surface of the seal in the region adjacent the contact faces; this makes for even easier rocking of the stem with reference to the seal.

In alternative embodiments, similar provisions are made at a level outside the container, where the outer end surface of the sleeve presses against a flange on the valve stem. By recessing the outer surfaces of the stem adjacent these surfaces, a similar gap is provided; and sloping either the outer end face of the sleeve or the face on the stem flange permits easier tilting of the stem within the seal.

The foregoing inventive principles are utilized in each of the several embodiments of invention shown in the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional View (the right half thereof being partly in elevation) of a valve embodying the present invention, the slope aforementioned being provided by the inclination of the closing face of the valve head, which is here shown in closed position.

FIGURE 2 is a view of the valve of FIGURE 1 showing the stem tilted to an open position.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of a modified embodiment wherein the slope is provided by an in clination of the valve-seating end face of the resilient seal.

FIGURE 4 is a view of the embodiment shown in FIG- URE 3, tilted to an open position. FIGURE 5 is a view, similar to the left half of the FIGURE 1, of a further modified embodiment wherein the slope is provided by an inclination of the annular face of a stem flange.

FIGURE 6; is a view, similar to FIGURE 5, of still another embodiment wherein the slope is provided by an inclination of the outer end face of the tubular elastic seal sleeve.

FIGURE7 is a view, similar to FIGURE 5, of still another embodiment which substantially combines the detail features of the embodiment of FIGURES l and 5.

FIGURE 8 is a view, similar to FIGURE 5, showing still another embodiment, this one including the detail features of the embodiments of both FIGURES 3 and 6.

The embodiment of FIGURE 1 will be first described because its working is perhaps most readily apparent. There is provided a mounting cup 10 having an outstanding rim 11 which fits over the mouth of a dispensing container (not shown), further having a wall portion 12 which serves as the top wall for the dispensing container. The wall portion 12' includes a circular aperture 13, formed and outwardly flanged about axis a perpendicular to the wall 12.

A tubular elastic seal generally designated 14 is formed of rubber-like material. It includes a seal body portion 15 enlarged to provide a large washer-like sealing surface against the inner side of the wall portion 12 adjacent the aperture 13; and a sleeve portion 17 extending through the aperture 13 and having an outer sleeve surface 18 presented sealingly within and against the flange of the circular aperture 13. The elastic seal 14 has an inner bore 19 and a lower end counterbore portion Q0 which are concentric with the axis a when the sleeve is not distorted. The inner bore 19 includes a stem-sealing sur-- face at the level of the circular aperture 13; this stemsealing surface 21 may include a constricting girdle such 3 as is shown in US. Patent No. 2,831,617 to J. W. Soifer issued April 22, 1958.

The seal 14 has two annular end faces; and both of them are at levels, taken along the axis a, which are re mote from the level of the circular aperture 13 of the wall 12. The seal annular end faces are the valve seating end face 22 at the lower (or inner) end of the seal, and the sleeve end face 23 at the outer end of the sleeve portion 17.

Cooperating with these elements is the tubular valving stem generally designated 24, which is formed of rigid or substantially rigid material such as a strong plastic. By the term rigid is here meant a material which has relatively little elastic deformation under load, compared to the rubber-like elastic deformation of the tubular seal 14. The tubular valving stem 24 has a central passage 25 and outer manipulative tip portion 26. The tip portion has a lower margin at which is formed a stern flange or shoulder 27 adjacent to the sleeve portion end face 23, which at least partially contacts an inwardly presented face 28 of the flange or shoulder 27.

The tubular valving stem 24 has an outer stem wall 29 which is sealingly embraced by the stem-sealing surface 21 of the tubular seal 14 at the level of the wall portion 12. Beneath (that is, inwardly of) this level, several lateral stern ports 3% are provided through the stern wall, these being located within the counterbore portion 2%! of the seal 14. Adjacent to the stem ports 30, the tubular valving stem 24 is closed off at its inner end by an integral valve head 31, which is of substantially larger diameter than the diameter of the outer stem wall 29. This difference in diameter provides the area for an annular closing face 32, which is sealed by contacting the stem-sealing surface 21 at the inner end of the tubular seal 14. The

closing face 32 is of greater width than the stem-sealing surface 21; it extends both radially inward and radially therefrom.

It will be noted from FIGURE 1 that the end face 22 is there shown as being in a horizontal plane; but the closing face 32 of the valve head 31 slopes, it being inclined toward the level of the wall aperture 13 when measured radially outward from the axis a. It is also to be noted that the counterbore 29 within the lower end of the tubular elastic seal 14 provides an annular gap adjacent to the stem-sealing surface 21, the gap being between the inner counterbore'surface 2t and the outer stem wall 29 in the region of the valve stem ports 30.

Preferably the fit of the seal 14 between the stern shoulder 27 andthe valve head closing face 32 is fairly tight, the elastic material of the seal 14 being somewhat compressed. Then, in the valve-closed position shown in FIGURE 1, there will be a positive line contact between the horizontal and face 22 and the sloping closing face 32 of the valve head 31. When the stem 24 is tilted from the perpendicular, as shown in FIGURE 2, so as to perrnit the passage of contents from the container between closing face 32 and the valve-seating end face 22 of the seal (and then through the stern ports and outward by way of the passage 25) the'stem 24 will have a greater rotative tendency than the seal 14.

It will now be apparent how the detail design features aid, rather than interfere with, the rotative tendency of the stem 24. The slope of the valve head closing face 32 permits the valve stem 24 to be rotated and to slide with reference to the valve-seating end face 22 without undue pressure. The annular gap provided inside the lower end counterbore portion 20 facilitates the. sliding and permits the greater rotative rocking of the valve stem 24 without any bunching of the elastic material of the seal 14. The slope of the closing face 32 may conveniently be about 20 degrees (with very substantial latitude however in the actual angularity) which slope, measured radially outward from the axis,'inclines toward the level of the wal aperture 13.

While the foregoing embodiment and its action are perhaps most readily understood, I prefer for molding, to utilize the embodiment shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, which is identical with the embodiment heretofore described except that in this instance the closing face 32a. of the valve head 31a is horizontal, and the valve-seating end face 22a of the elastic seal 14a is sloped, at an inclination which, measured radially outward from the axis a, slopes toward the level of the wall aperture 13a. Because of the identity of the parts in all other particulars, they are given the same detail parts numbers as the corresponding parts in the embodiments shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. I prefer to use the embodiment of FIGURE 3 and 4 for the practical ease of molding the parts. However, it will be seen that easy tilting rotation of the valve stem 24a in the embodiment of FIGURE 3, is permitte by the sarne factors as permit such tilting in FIGURE 1;

These factors, as stated, are a slope of one of the faces which mate within the container for closing the valve, which slope is toward the level of the wall aperture when measured radially outward from the axis; and the annular gap provided within the counterbore 2d of the seal 14a. The angularity of the valve-seating end face 22athat is, its slope from the horizontalis preferably about 20, the same as heretofore described.

The alternate embodiment shown in FIGURE 5 has many features in common with the preceding described embodiments. The tubular valving stem therein is designated 24b, and the elastic seal is designated 14b. In this embodiment, both the valve-seating end face 22b and the closing face 32b of the valve head are horizontal. The outer end sleeve face 23 is also horizontal, but the inwardly presented annular face 231) has a slope, it being inclined toward the level of the wall aperture when measured radially outward from the axis a. Further, the outer stem wall 291; is provided at its upper end, adjacent to the annular face 2311, with a recessed surface portion 33!), which provides an annular gap between the inner tubular surface of the seal sleeve portion 17b adjacent of the sleeve portion end face 231). By reason of the recessed portion 33b, the inwardly presented face 28b on the stem flange 27b is of greater width, radially, than the sleeve end face 23b. The detail design of these parts duplicates to a great extent, on the outer side of the container, what was provided in FIGURE 1 on the inner side of the con tainer. Thus (although it is preferable to provide for these features in connection with the operation of the valve head) to a certain measure there follows the same easing of the valve stem for rocking relative to the seal.

FIGURE 6 provides for a stem generally designated 240 having a horizontal face 281: on the stem flange 27c outwardly of the wall 120. The face 28c is radially enlarged by virtue of a stem wall recess 33c adjacent thereto; and the sleeve end face 230 slopes toward the level of the wall aperture when measured radially outward from the axis a.

In the two alternative embodiments of invention shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the details of construction provide such slopes on one of the pairs of faces inwardly of the container and also on one outwardly of the container. Thus, in FIGURE 7, the slopes are provided on the closing face 320! and the stem flange face 2Sd; whereas in FIGURE 8 the slopes are provided on the valve-seating end face 22a and the seal sleeve end face 232. The other parts are numbered in correspondence with the pattern of numbering employed on the earlier-described figures.

Other variations in detail features, and in form and proportion will occur to those skilled in the art. The claim should not, therefore, be construed narrowly, but instead as fully coextensive with their terms.

I claim: p

A dispenser including a container having an apertured top wall, a valve comprising a resilient tubular seal member engaged in the apertured wall and having one end portion disposed inward of the container and the other end I P r ion disposed outwardly of the container, a tubular stem member of rigid material engaged coaxially in the seal member, said tubular stem terminating outside of the container in a dispensing tip, an annular shoulder extending laterally of the stem and engaging said seal member, said tubular stem terminating inside of the container in a valve head engaging the tubular seal member inwardly of the container, the stem member having a stem port adjacent to the valve head, the stem member being supported by the tubular seal member between the shoulder on said stem and the valve head, the stem member adapted to be tilted arcuately about an intermediate pivot point to open the valve, the end portion of the seal member disposed inward of the container having a counterbore recess through which the stem member pivots in the arcuate tilting movement thereof, said last named end portion of the 15 2,339,086

seal member having an end face surrounding the counten bore recess, said end face having a slope of substantially 20 from the horizontal, the face of the valve head engaging said seal member being substantially horizontal, the slope of the end face of said seal member providing a sloping slide contact surface during tilting movement of the stem member to prevent substantial compression of the seal member. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent IUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,570,909 Benson et al. Oct/9, 1951 2,704,172 Lapin Mar. 15, 1955 Collins June 2, 195 9 

